Testing apparatus



June l2, 1923.l 1,458,529

' c. R, HILL TESTING APPARATUS `Filed April 13. 1920 v 2 sheets-Shee 2 A TTORNE YS l Patented June 12, 1923. i

,j` cnnunn RAYMOND. HILL, or Minnnnn, ivrIcHiGAN.yl

' TESTING ArrAnATUs.

applicati@ ined April 13, 1920. serial No. 373,672.

To all whom t'mag/ concern? Be it known` that I, CLAUDE R51-Ilm, a citizen of the United' States, yand a resident of MidlancL-in the countyof'Mi'dland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful lImprovements in Testing Apparatus, of which the following yis a specification. y l r V l My'invention is animprovement in testing apparatus, and relates 4more particularly vto apparatus for determining the setting time of cements, plaster's, or other 'composie tions possessing the property o f hardening.

An important object of my invention is to provide an apparatus` of thejabove inentioned characterfor the purpose of enabling Vthe determination` of the interval of `time elapsing between the compounding o-f cements or the like and the settingor hardening of the same.

Another object is to'provid'e an app-aratus mentioned above, which will beaccurate and simplein-its operation. y y l Other objects and advantages will become apparenty duringthe course of the following description. j f f In the drawings forming a partof this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate'k like characters through the same,

Figure 1 is `a perspective view of the apparatus showing separate po-rtions of the test material at different stages during the test, f f

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through the apparatus, and 4 y Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of the same. n

In the drawings, a supporting surface or plate 5, carries a series of keyed guide bars 6 which extend longitudinally of the plate 5. Plates 7 are adapted to slide 'longitudinally between the guide bars 6 and are for the purpose of carrying test portions of the material to be tested. n f

A yoke 8 mounted transversely of the plates 7 carries a plurality of pulleys 9, each alternating pulley having connection through a cord 10 with a weighted needle '11 for 12, the needles l1 being weighted to a lesser degree than the. needles 12. A cross bar 13 carrying a series of vertical guides 14 for the needles 11 and 12, is kmounted on the yoke 8.

y An arm 15 ispivoted on one of the arms lofthev yoke 8, as'jat'lG.'v Theupperendof the `arm 15 is apertured and receives a cord p 17 common to the pulleys 9.

The plates 7 are provided upontheir undersurfaces with rack bars 18 which are engaged by pinions l19 mounted on shaft 20.

Afworm 21mountedl upon vthe end of shaft 20, engages a worin 22 mounted upon and rotating with a shaft y A" cam 2117sk rigidly mounted uponshaft .23 in such a position as to operate arm L15 whenever rotary motion is imparted to they shaft 23; Driving power for shaft 23 is derived by anyfsuitable means employing la gear train for the reduction of speedzas shown at 25.v t f p f *In operation, the material. to betested such as cement orother compositions possessing the qualityfof hardening, isplaced upon the plates 7. As the shaft 23 revolves motion is imparted to the plates 7 and they travel longitudinally at .a known rateof speed,preferably at the rate Tof oney inch per hour. Atregular intervalsr of about yeight 'minutes' the cam rotating with fthe shaft. 23 causes arm 15 to swing on its pivot and thus lgently lower and raise the needles 11 and 12.

The Lopenation is veryl 'slow and gentle so that no appreciable' momentum isfgiven to vthe needles, they oo ming to rest `of their own weight only on the cement. At the beginnng of the test, the materialvis rather soft and pliable hence theneedles produce a series of vindentations or impressions asy the plate 7 travels along. As the material hardens, these impressions become shallow until a point is reached where the entire weight of the needle yis supported without leaving an impression/onthe surface of the material. The lighter needles l1 determine the initial set and the heavier needles 12 determine the inalset of the material. It will thus be seen that by scaling,` 0E the lengths of the respective series ofiinpressions on the material being tested and by taking account of the known rate of travel .of the plate carrying the material, the time elapsing from the introduction of the material into the apparatus to the occurrence of the initial and th'e final set is determined.

It is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts Y of the above described apparatus may bey resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. s i

Having thusdescribed j my i` invention, what I claim is: y

l. The combination of a pluralityof sliding .plates for carrying the material on test, propulsion means for said plates, afseries of Weighted needles disposed `transversely of the plates, and automatic means-,for moving said needles. into engagement With the material on the platesat yregu-larintervals.

2. An apparatus of the character' Adescribed, comprising aplur-ality of plates` side by side and movable-inthe direction oflength, a carrier yframe extending `over saidv plates, Weighted needles guided by said frame, means for lifting saidy needles including a longitudinal shaftand intermittent devices between said shaft and needles and means for moving the plates.

3. Ina device of the character described, a plurality of Weighted needles, some needles being Weighted to ailess-degree than others, longitudinally moving platforms forear-ry ing test materials, travelling beneath v*the needles at a uniformspeed, propulsion means for moving said platforms, means yfor lowering and raising the needles at inter vals, relative tothe speed ofthe platforms, 'including a Vflexible connector attached at one end of each of the needles, vthe said vflexible connectors being carried over pulleys Aand attached toa lever, anda cam for reciprocating said lever and mounted! upon the main drive ,shaft of apower source.

l 4Q A device of.k the character described comprising a needle disposed vertically and being movablein the direction of its length,

a carrier movable in. 'afhorizontal plane.v eX- tending beneath the needle, said carrier being adapted to support thereon a material to be testedmeans for moving the carrier continuously ata uniform speed, and means -carrierand thenraise the needle.

5. In a testing apparatus, a carrier frame, a plurality of Weightedneedles :guided vertically by the fra-me, `a lever mounted upon the frame and adapted to be reciprocated by some externalrsourceof power, and Aflexible connectors connecting the individual needles with the levenv -In a testingapparatus, a plurality of sliding plates, said plates travelling at `a .uniform rate of speed, means for moving said plates, a plurality of needlessuspended above the vpath of travel of thefplates, means for lowering and raising the needles, said meansvmoving the needlesrelative to the rate vofi motion of the plates. s l '2'. Ina device of the character described, a longitudinally moving plate or plates, means Or-moving'the plateor plates including rackbars mounted on the under side of said plate'or plates l'and pinions to engage said rack bars, a carrier frame mounted to straddle the plate or plates, Weighted needles carried by the frame, some of said needles being Weighted to a less degree than others, a lever-pivotally `mounted upon the frame, flexible connectors connecting the needles vWith.v the lever, and :power means for reciprocating the leverV vand moving theplate .or plates 'in speed relation.

- CLAUDE lRAYll/IOND I-IILL.` 

